Hearts of Adventure
by RoseFrederick
Summary: The Doctor promises Jack and Rose a day off at a resort planet. No monsters, no crises, just relaxation. Strangely enough, they're a little skeptical about his ability to deliver.


"So how does this work, do we take bets about whether or not we actually end up where and when he says we will?" Jack says as an aside to Rose, from where the two of them are leaning against either side of one of the TARDIS control room's supporting pillars. They're both facing the center of the room, watching the Doctor circle around the central console as he pilots them to their next destination. At Rose's insistence, after their last accidental intrusion into a planetary civil war, the Doctor is supposed to be taking them to see the sights on a famous pleasure planet.

"Oi! I heard that!" the Doctor interjects before Rose can give any answer. He's still braced at the console, looking at the TARDIS' screen, and doesn't bother to look up.

Jack smiles and winks at Rose before he raises his voice to respond playfully, "You were meant to! Rose has told me all about your driving."

It's only Jack's second week in the TARDIS, and while for the most part he fits in with the two of them very well, he and the Doctor have a relationship that involves a touch more snark and biting remarks towards each other than the one Rose and the Doctor have. Or the one Jack and Rose have, for that matter. He's still not quite used to following someone else's lead or the Doctor's sometimes very peculiar ways of doing things, and it's caused a few moments of real friction.

As is therefore often the case between them, there's more than a hint of challenge to his tone, and the Doctor takes him up on it. "Oh, I see. Telling tales and conspiring against me are you?" He looks up at the two of them and theatrically shakes his head, before returning his attention to the center console and his driving. "Well, you're just lucky I want to see the Glasmir Mountains, myself! Been a good long while since I saw a nice scenic set of mountains."

"I'm looking forward to it," Rose says, before she smiles wickedly and adds, " _If_ that's where we end up."

The Doctor gives her a challenging look that's not quite a glare. There's too much of a twinkle in his eyes for the expression to be truly dour. "I'll have you know I'm a wonderful driver." He smiles widely as if that somehow proves his point.

Rose rolls her eyes, "You blokes always think you're great drivers. Even alien ones, I guess."

"On behalf of my fellow blokes, I have to say – hey!" Jack says, and Rose reaches around the column to smack him in the arm.

"Now don't you go switching allegiances on me!"

The Doctor isn't smiling as he watches their interplay, but it's obvious he's not nearly so displeased as he's trying to pretend. The conversation fades off for a moment, silent but for the noises of the TARDIS in motion. It's not an uncomfortable emptiness, just a natural and comfortable lull in conversation.

As the Doctor's movements at the console wind down, Rose breaks the silence to ask, "So, you said this planet, the name is -"

"Apalapucia," Jack and the Doctor chime in concert.

"Have you been there before?"

"Nope."

"Once."

As both of the others turn their attention to him, Jack elaborates. "Well, it did get voted number two in the top ten destinations for the discerning intergalactic traveler, you know. So I had to go when I had the chance. Sunsets like you'll see nowhere else in a pinkish-purple atmosphere, gorgeous architecture all done in silver colonnades and spires soaring up into the sky, and the mountains? The mountains are made up mainly of an indigenous stone that gleams and reflects almost like a set of mirrors, all formed into naturally pointed geometric spires. It's absolutely beautiful, nearly indescribable. I went there on my third vacation when I was working for the Time Agency, met this pair of married travelers on a honeymoon tour of pleasure planets who'd just come from Abydos, and you would not believe the things -"

The Doctor snorts. "I think we've heard enough of that story, thank you." He fiddles with the console one last time and finally there's the distinctive thump of the TARDIS coming to rest at her destination. "Here we are then. Apalapucia, about, oh, 2 billion light years from Earth, give or take a few thousand light years. Apalapucia, smack in the middle of the 23rd Century, at the relative beginning of its popularity as a pleasure planet destination. Shall we?"

He steps towards the door and offers up an elbow. Rose grabs onto Jack and hauls him over to take the offered limb, and the three of them head towards the TARDIS door. As it swings open, they can see that the sky above them does indeed have a pinkish-purple hue, and there are pointed peaks in the distance that could perhaps be described as mountains, flashing with reflected light. They're not like any Earth mountains Rose has ever seen, but they're certainly large enough and vaguely mountain-shaped - if in an overly-geometrical and sharply pointed way.

"Well, this definitely _looks_ like Apalapucia," Jack says.

"Course it does, 'cause it is." The Doctor's tone is just a touch smug. If it's also not entirely concealing a touch of surprise, his companions are kind enough not to mention it.

The group of three set out to explore. Their first stop is the aquarium, with a collection of aquatic wildlife from a hundred different planets. Afterwards, they sample the local cuisine at an outdoor cafe while Jack flirts shamelessly with their server. Once lunch is over, they visit an art gallery, where the Doctor delights in pointing out to Rose that they even had a few replicas of famous Earth artworks.

Through each and every new thrilling attraction, there's always a part of Rose looking for signs of trouble. Jack picks up on her hyper-awareness, and the two of them make a game of it, betting on what the disaster of the day will be and at what attraction they'll stumble over it. As the day goes on longer and longer with nothing more exciting than what you would expect of a tourist destination without the Doctor along, their theories get more and more outlandish and the Doctor, mostly pretending to ignore them, starts huffing and rolling his eyes at each increasingly ludicrous suggestion.

Their last stop of the day is one of the planet's most recent installations, according to the automated tour guide voice that addresses them from hidden speakers. It's a topiary garden modeled after that of the Shill governor's mansion on the planet Shallanna and the perfect place to watch the sunset.

"It's beautiful," Rose says, looking over the garden in glowing light of the setting sun. "Perfect end to a perfect day."

"Feels like it's missing something though," Jack replies.

"Oh, that'd be the running-for-our-lives part," Rose sneaks a glance at the Doctor who is standing a little way away, staring off at the horizon. Seeing he doesn't seem to be paying them any attention, Rose lowers her voice a notch and continues, "Don't take me wrong, I love the days like this – it's relaxing, yeah? But I wouldn't want too many of 'em, that's for sure. What's the point of adventuring without a real adventure? Helping people, doing good, there's nothing like it."

"I know exactly what you mean," Jack replies at the same volume. "Mind, I would have said you were crazy a couple of weeks ago!"

Still turned away in a different direction where they can't see his expression, the Doctor smiles to himself.


End file.
